JR Automation Technologies, LLC: Leaders in Robot Integration

JR Automation Technologies, LLC is a global provider of specialty machines and robotic integration. A solid foundation of 28 years of experience and a companywide drive for innovation uniquely positions JR Automation as a full service manufacturing systems provider. Since 1995, JR’s success comes under the management, knowledge sharing, and financial security of the Huizenga Group, a private West Michigan group of tooling and manufacturing companies.

The JR cross-disciplinary approach creates custom teams that focus on a project from concept to installation and beyond, with unmatched service and support. Our qualified, degreed engineers and professionals are proficient in the tools of 3D design, finite element analysis, data collection, vision, robot programming, and more. Additionally, JR includes specialty groups, such as JR2—efficient in fast turn-around projects; Epoch Robotics—specializing in 24/7 robotic service and support for Fanuc and other robot manufacturers; and R & D—providing feasibility studies for combining new and emerging technologies.

Established partnerships with companies such as Fanuc, Rockwell Automation, Cognex, ABB, and others, allows JR engineers to stay informed of the latest in emerging technologies and to become experts in these company’s products and processes. Additionally, our customer base is international, and across all industries. JR builds machines and integrates robotics for automotive, construction, consumer products, food processing, furniture, medical, aerospace, and pharmaceutical industries.

On any given day, JR is designing and building a variety of robot integrated assembly and process solutions in our 120,000 square facility. Read the case studies below for a few examples of how JR integrates robotics into custom built assembly solutions.

CASE STUDIES

Door Panel Trim Assembly Cell: This assembly solution has two material handling robots surrounded by individual robotic work stations to produce any configured door with part changeover as part of the process. The material handling robots carry fixtures through the cell, meaning new product lines require adding a new fixture, not a new machine, greatly reducing future capital costs. The individual robotic work stations perform the following processes: part loading, sonic welding, clip inserting, heatstaking, and tab bending. All processes integrate in a modular design, with the flexibility to add additional work stations. The individual work stations are easy to bypass or remove, without adversely affecting the rest of the line—greatly enhancing testing and maintenance options. The modular design provides the freedom of using individual work stations across multiple cells or product lines.

Flexible Welding Cell: Designed for metal weld processing, this machine uses a material handling robot to pick and place fixtures from a rack, which it then presents to an operator for part load and to the weld gun for welding. This method reduces part changeover from hours to seconds, while ensuring accommodating future product lines will require only minimal fixture changes. JR lets the robot do the heavy lifting—this full automation solution needs only one operator. Additionally, this flexible JR process reduces the overall number of fixtures, weld points per part type, and number of weld tips from 20 to 1. Finally, full automation increases consistency, and our carefully researched weld power supply improves quality across parts of various metals.

Vision Guided Robotic Flexible Feeding: Taking the place of traditional part feeding methods, flex feeding uses vision guided robots to pick randomly placed parts from a vibrating track. Integrated into machinery, flex feeding allows for almost endless product line variations, eliminating the need for part-designated in-feed systems and machines. Part changeover is a rapid selection on the HMI, or a quick change-out of the end of arm tooling. JR can integrate flex feeding systems into assembly lines, stand-alone machines, and as upgrades to existing equipment, for any industry.

To learn more about JR Automation Technologies, LLC robotic integration design and build capabilities, contact our sales team at 616-399-2168, or visit our websites at jrauto.com and epochrobotics.com.